Dynamite-shell



Patented Apr. l, 1890.

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are employed.

UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

EDIVARD STERN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

DYNAMITE-SHELL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent. No. 424,736, dated April 1, 1890. Application filed April 1, 1889. Serial No. 305,580. (No model.)

Be it known that I, EDWARD STERN, acitizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Projectiles for Dynamite, &c., which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings.

My invention consists of a projectile for dynamite, nitro-glycerine, or other high explosive, providing meanswhereby the shock due to the explosion of the charge of gunpowder or other explosive or pressure used in the discharge of a projectile from a cannon is reduced or in great part avoided, thus lessening the danger of explosion when shells filled with nitro-glycerine or other high explosive The invention also reduces the sudden shock which tends to burst the explosionchamber of the cannon, and may be employed in the firing of solid shot, as well as of shells containing high explosives.

It also consists of details of construction, as will be hereinafter set forth.

Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of aprojectile embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a transverse section on line :0 00, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a longitudinal section of a portion on an enlarged scale.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a projectile of suitable form, having a chamber B for dynamite or other high explosive and a chamber 0 rearward of said chamber B, the chamber O being fitted with mechanism so as to form an air-cushion between the seat of the explosion of the powder or other pressure used in the gun and the chamber B, said mechanism consisting of a plunger or piston D, which 0ccupies a position near the breech end of the chamber 0, said piston having fitted in its periphery the movable plugs or tongues E, which are adapted to enter the grooves Fin the inner periphery of the chamber C and are forced into said grooves by the springs G.

The plunger D can be provided with any efiicient system of packing or other known device or construction for preventing the passage of the air or other gas between its sides and the sides of the chamber C. H

Vithin the plug is a port H, with which communicates a pipe J on the outside of said plug, whereby suitable material-such as a heavy oilcan be introduced into the chamber C for facilitating the sealing or packing of the joint between the plunger D and the contiguous wall of the chamber C; or the packing material may be introduced in a plastic state around the circumference of the plunger D before its introduction into the chamber 0, and afterward by the application of heat it may be brought to fill the groove shown in the drawings.

In the wall of the chamber C are perforations L, and in the tongues E are smaller holes or channels M for receiving a pin or other implement, in order to facilitate the springing of the tongues E into the grooves F, after which said perforations L may be closed by metallic plugs or screws.

The chamber 0, being made as airtight as is found practicable, can (before being placed in the cannon) be charged with air or other gas through the port H, which communicates with the pipe J. The pressure within the chamber can be raised to such a point as is found in practice to form the best air-cushion, for the purpose of decreasing the shock communicated in the usual method of discharge, it being observed that the mechanism securing the plunger D in position is of such character as will enable it to resist pressure from within the chamber 0 while it retains its primary position, and yet permit its free entrance farther within the chamber as soon as the pressure resulting from the powder or other explosive agent used in the discharge of the cannon exceeds the pressure within the chamber 0. The mechanism of said plunger is also of such character as to facilitate the free exit of the plunger from the chamber 0 after the projectile leaves the cannon-that is, the plug, being relieved from the pressure from behind and subject to the great pressure from within the chamber 0, will be driven rearward from the dotted position in which it is shown and out of chamber 0.

The rear or breech of the projectile is reduced in thickness from or about the plugD to the outer edge, whereby when the projectile is discharged said rear end will expand, and thus close against the bore of the fire-arm.

The point of the projectile is provided with a cap K, whereby the dynamite or other material within the chamber B may be duly exploded; or any approved form of fuse may be employed to produce explosion at the desired point.

The exterior of the projectile, more especially the chamber 0, may be clad or sheathed with soft ductile metal, thus enabling the wall of said chamber to better resist the strain to which it may be subjected and engage with the rifling of the bore of a gun or fire-arm when so constituted.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A projectile having a front chamber for highly-explosive material, an air-chamber in the rear thereof, with a movable plunger formin g the rear Wall of the air-chamber, said parts being combined substantially as described.

2. A projectile having a front chamber for highly-ex jflosive material, an air-chamber in the rear of said highly-explosive-material chamber with fixed Wall between the same, and a plunger at or near the breech end of the proj ectile, and having movable plugs fittedln its periphery and adapted to enter grooves 111 the air-chamber, said parts being combined substantially as described.

3. A projectile having the explos1ve1naterial chamber B, the air-chamber O in the rear of said explosive-material chamber and having the grooves F in its inner perlphery, the plunger D, with opening H and pipe J, and the plugs E, with springs G, said plugs being fitted in the periphery of the plunger and adapted to enter the grooves F, said parts being combined substantially as described. V

4. A projectile having an air-cl1amber,w1th the grooves F and the openings L in its walls, the plunger D at or near the breech end of the projectile, and the movable plugs E, fitting in the periphery of the plunger and entering the grooves F, the said openings L be ng opposite to the said plugs E, said parts being combined substantially as described.

1 EDWVARD STERN.

WVitnesses:

JOHN A. WIEDERSHEIM, JAMES F. KELLY. 

